


Cold Water

by Lennyways



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-08-16 10:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8097832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lennyways/pseuds/Lennyways
Summary: Castiel has been silently crushing on his roommate from the day he met him, but now Dean invited him to spent a weekend with his family and Cas' crush might not be so silent anymore.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of the first fics I've ever written and the first at all I'm posting here, so thank you if you're giving it a chance :) feedback and criticism are always welcome

“Hey, Dean? Are you going to be here next weekend or...?“ 

Dean looked up from his computer absent-mindedly as Castiel’s voice trailed off. 

“Sure, why wouldn’t I be? You got something planned? Do you need the place for yourself?”

“What? No, I just thought because it’s your birthday you might want to visit your family? You said something about a tradition a while ago, so I’d thought I ask.”

“Because it’s… oh. Fuck, I completely forgot about that!” 

Dean enthusiastically slammed his laptop shut and moved into a more comfortable position on his bed, a bright smile on his face. 

“Really, I’ve been so caught up in this essay I’ve got to finish for Professor Crowley. Dude, he made me forget my own birthday! You know what that means?” 

“That you finally have as much to do as me?”  
It was Castiel’s turn to grin now, mirroring Dean’s position on his own bed. For almost all of the past one and a half years they shared a room now, this was only the second time Dean had work to do while Cas didn’t, a fact which he had reminded Dean of only about 50 times in the last two days. According to Dean, that was, who was currently contemplating sticking his tongue out at Castiel, but ultimately decided against it. He would not give him this triumph.

“Shut up, that’s not what I meant and you know it. No, this means that I’ll have two things to celebrate! And that means yes, I’m going home, but you’re coming with me!” 

Dean had leaned forward during his declaration and was now beaming at Castiel like he just had the greatest idea ever, something Cas tried very hard not to think of as incredibly endearing. It was one thing to harbor a crush on your roommate as long as he was just that, but Dean had just invited him to his home. For his birthday. And admittedly, Dean had been his best friend almost from the moment they met each other, not just a guy he had to share a room with because someone in administration had said so, but still, his crush had been manageable. 

But this? This was quickly reaching the point of abort-mission-stop-right-now-before-you-do-something-stupid. 

So, nervously, he asked: “Are you sure? I’d love to come, but from what you told me I feel like maybe I would intrude?” 

“Why would you even think that? Cas, it’s my birthday and if I want you there it’s perfectly fine. Plus, it’s always fun to have new people joining in. I told you about last year, didn’t I? Jo bringing her girlfriend? That was hilarious, so you’ll be fine don’t worry.” 

Cas did, in fact, remember Dean’s story about how a very wet and miserable Charlie had tried to keep up with the idiots who apparently had decided surfing in January in Maine was a good idea. But while Dean had made it sound fun, Charlie, who had become his most reliable companion in various online games over the past year, had described feeling about as good as Luke after his run-in with the Wampa on Hoth afterwards. 

Dean, not bothered by his lack of response at all, went on: “I promise you’ll have fun! And Charlie’s going to be there too, I know you two planned on meeting eventually! You don’t even have to go surfing, just come with me? Please?” 

Dean’s voice turned from over-excited to almost pleading with his last sentence and he looked almost afraid Castiel could say no, although he thought he probably imagined that. Still, if Dean wanted him to come along, he would, even if that meant potentially freezing to death in an icy winter ocean. 

This was how Cas found himself in the passenger seat of the Impala on Friday afternoon, next to Dean who was enthusiastically singing along to whatever song the radio played. Whenever a duet came up, he would try to get Castiel to sing along, which he did, eventually. Not for long though, since a horrible rendition of ‘Time of my Life’ left them both breathless with laughter and with tears streaming down their cheeks. 

After finally calming down, it took Dean no time at all to start singing again, and the next fit of laughter would follow right behind, especially since Dean started to suddenly change his voice to something ridiculous mid-song when Castiel demanded a break. When they pulled up in front of the Winchester’s house after about five hours of driving, Castiel’s stomach hurt and he had wiped tears from his eyes more often than he cared to count. 

The rest of the evening seemed to fly by as Castiel met not only Dean’s parents and his brother, who all welcomed him warmly and made him feel like he was at home too in a matter of minutes, but also so many different family friends that he forgot about half their names right after meeting them. 

Especially after Charlie showed up and the two of them ended up discussing all kinds of new games they should definitely play at some point. Dean was busy catching up with people, but he would look over to Cas every now and then and they’d smile at each other before going back to their respective conversations. 

After this had happened once again, Castiel was still thinking about how grateful he was not only for meeting Dean, but also for all the new people he had introduced him to, when he noticed Charlie was watching him, eyebrows raised and an amused smile playing around her lips. 

“Wow, you really have it bad, haven’t you?” 

Cas froze, surely he couldn’t have been that obvious, right?

“What? I’m just happy to finally meet you. And all the others, nothing else.”

Even in his own ears, the explanation sounded as unbelievable as it got, and Charlie seemed to think the same.

“Sure, dude. As cute as that is, you don’t smile at me like I hung the moon. Seriously, have you seen the way you two look at each other? I feel like vomiting rainbows just by being near that.”

Cas couldn’t help but chuckle at this image, even though he felt a blush heating up his face too. Apparently he was that obvious, but at least it was only Charlie who noticed. Although…

“At each other? Charlie, Dean’s not… he doesn’t…” 

He was thankfully interrupted by Charlie before he could make himself into even more of an idiot, not that he knew how that would be possible, but he was sure he’d find a way.

“He does. Really, Cas, believe me, he does.”

Charlie looked at him, a grin beginning to from on her face. “So, now that this is off the table, what are you going to do about it? And don’t even try to say nothing!”

Charlie had then proceeded to come up with a variety of battle strategies that would have made any general proud and Cas was left rethinking those over and over.

He wondered if there was a way Charlie had been right when the clock hit midnight and he hugged Dean to wish him a happy birthday. He tried to decide if any of those plans was actually worth trying while he tried to fall asleep, listening to Dean’s soft breaths in the bed next to his. He overthrew every decision he made the night before when he ate the most delicious pancakes he ever had for breakfast. He absent-mindedly staggered through the process of finding a wetsuit and shoes his size and tried to convince himself there was no way at all Dean could feel the same way about their thighs pressing together in the car on the way to the beach. And then, he suddenly stopped thinking about Dean, about what-ifs and maybes.

They had arrived at the beach and not only was it freezing cold, there were chunks of ice lying around about as big as he was. He could see a group of people already in the water, indistinguishable in their wetsuits, hoods and gloves. Castiel was still staring out at the sea, wondering exactly how insane he was to have ever considered going in there and if he could still back out when Dean threw his arm around Castiel’s shoulders, grinning excitedly. 

“Come on, get ready so we can go get the boards! It’s going to be fun, and I promise I’ll help you, okay?” 

Taking a deep breath, Castiel nodded. He could do this. If Dean said it would be fine, it would be fine. Pulling the hood and gloves on, he followed Dean over to where the remaining surfboards where leaning against a trailer, Dean grabbing his hand as soon as he was finished and running the rest of the way, pulling him along.

Sam was waiting for them there, the last person from their group not already in the water. He handed Cas one of the boards while Dean grabbed another one and then they were making their way towards the water. Castiel could feel his heart beat and he was worriedly chewing on the inside of his lip when they finally reached it, Sam running in first and yelping when a wave hit him, drenching him completely. He shot them a last look before throwing himself on his board and paddling out to where the others were, leaving only Dean and Castiel to stand on the beach. 

“Okay, are you ready?” Dean asked, his eyes, now the only part visible of his face, glinting with anticipation. 

“Not really?” “Hey, it’s cool if you don’t want to. And you can still always get out if you’re cold or you feel like you’re done.”

Dean had gripped Cas’ shoulder, his eyes now looking concerned. Another deep breath and Castiel decided he was going to at least try this. He was already here and it was Dean’s birthday, so he wouldn’t turn back now.

“Yes, okay. So, how do we do this? Just run in?” 

“Yeah, it’s the easiest way, just get it over with. Come on.”

He shifted his board so he was carrying it under the other arm and held out his hand, Castiel grabbing it after a last moment of hesitation and then they were running towards the water and then everything was cold. 

Dean would later say Castiel had shrieked like a little girl in that moment and Castiel would vehemently deny this, although he knew it was probably true. But no matter who was right, after Dean had stopped laughing he showed Castiel how to move while lying on his board and, a little later, how to stand up.

Even though the stayed in areas where the water was shallow and the waves were relatively harmless, Castiel always ended up in the water mere seconds after he tried standing up, much to Dean’s continued amusement. Surprisingly enough though, after that had happened a few times he wasn’t cold anymore, and a bit later he actually started having fun. 

Admittedly that was more thanks to a bigger wave surprising Dean in the process of laughing at Cas’ futile attempts at surfing and effectively shutting him up than less because of the surfing itself, but it was fun nonetheless. In fact, Castiel was surprised when everyone started getting out of the water again, because it didn’t feel like they’d been in for very long at all. 

It was only on their way home back in the car when he started feeling the cold again, even though they had all long changed into dry clothes. But since Dean just slung his arm around Cas’ shoulder again and pulled him closer when he noticed the shivering, Castiel didn’t feel much like complaining. Instead, he let his head fall on Dean’s shoulder and closed his eyes, only for someone to gently start shaking him. 

When he opened his eyes again, he looked into Dean’s, his face close enough for Cas to feel his breath when he told him he had fallen asleep. That was enough to wake Castiel up immediately, although Dean moved back as soon as he was convinced he had woken Cas up.

Still, Castiel thought while a hot shower chased away the last traces of cold in his body, he and Dean had basically been cuddling on their way back. And it had been Dean who initiated it. Maybe Charlie hadn’t been wrong after all. 

So, when Sam snatched Dean’s blanket away while they were sitting on the couch watching Indiana Jones, it felt only natural to offer sharing Castiel’s. And if they finished the movie with Dean’s head leaning against Cas’ shoulder and their legs tangled under the blanket, that really wasn’t a reason for Charlie to look so smug. And honestly, Castiel thought when he and Dean were the last people still awake because no one else had seen the necessity to also watch the other two Indiana jones movies, and when Dean’s hands were tangled in his hair and his lips were pressing against Castiel’s and his tongue was exploring his mouth, honestly he didn’t know why he had ever been nervous.


End file.
